Next Stop Everywhere: Doctor Who?
by Scarlet Phlame
Summary: Emma is startled from her daily routine at the office by Henry, to be informed there is a big blue box in the middle of the road. A big blue box that wasn't there before. A big blue box bearing a madman and his feisty companion. As if things couldn't get worse? It looks like they're gonna be stuck in town for a while. (I own nothing.) Donna/Doctor/Emma/Henry/Regina friendship.
1. Chapter 1

"Emma!" An overexcited Henry burst through the doors of the sheriff's station, startling the blonde that sat under piles of paperwork.

"What is it, kid?" she asked lamely.

"There's a blue box in the corner of the road!" he squealed excitedly.

"Okay," Emma said slowly. "Wait, I don't get it. What about a big blue box?"

"It appeared right in the road!" Henry yelled. "Right in front of me, like magic!" Emma groaned.

"Kid... I have work to do. I don't have time for this."

"Just come and see!" Henry shrieked. Emma rolled her eyes, it wasn't like she had to really do work anyway, but it was something to keep her mind focused on. An excuse to not be the savior at the moment.

"Fine," she groaned, grabbing her coat from the hanger by the door and marching out. "A blue box. Really?"

* * *

Much to Emma's surprise, she found there actually WAS a big blue box sitting around the corner quite quaintly, like an antique nestled in the corner of a shop.

"So there is a blue box," she said, intrigued.

"It's a police box," Henry interrupted. She started, surprised.

"How did you know that?" Henry shrugged.

"It says Police box on the front..." Emma looked up sheepishly.

"Oh."

Both jumped back as the doors suddenly flew open and a man dashed out, smoke flooding from the box.

"Blimey!" he coughed. "Was that a crash, or what?"

"I don't believe this!" Donna yelled, storming out. "Listen 'ere, Spaceman, when you told me you wee gonna take me to travel the STARS I wasn't expecting to crash-land in the middle of a road!"

"It's not my fault!" the Doctor responded quickly. "The time vortex went screwy right in the middle of-" At this point, the Doctor froze, noticing Henry and Emma's expressions. "Oh, hello there, sorry, didn't see you. How are you?"

Emma stumbled over to a tree behind her, leaning against it for support.

"Oh, look what you've gone and done," Donna groaned. "Can't you be a little more less alien-ish?" the Doctor gawked at her.

"Oi!" the Doctor exclaimed, before turning over to look at Henry. "Hello, there. Sorry if I startled you, but would you mind telling me what year it is?"

"Dear god," Donna groaned.

"Uhm, 2012," Henry said blankly.

"Okay," the Doctor noted. "2012. Not that far off from our destination."

"Yeah, except we're in a town that I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE IN MY LIFE!" Donna shouted. The Doctor winced.

"We're in Storybrooke," Henry said, a bit dazed. The Doctor nodded.

"Right, Storybrooke. Love the sound of it, actually," he said with a grin. "Storybrooke. Sounds like storybook! I do love a good book, if I do say so myself. Although- OW!" He recoiled backwards as Donna smacked him in the arm.

"You idiot, you're scaring the kid!"

"Aw, well, he looks okay," the Doctor noted. And he was, Henry was beaming a mile long.

"You broke him!" Donna yelled, waving her hand in front of his face. Henry didn't move or blink.

"I'm dreaming," Emma said blankly. "Or you two are under arrest."

"See? My point," the Doctor mumbled. "Humans! Locking up everything they don't understand! I mean- OW!"

"Sorry about 'im," Donna said, walking over to Emma. "My name's Donna."

"Emma," Emma said blankly before straightening herself out. "Wait, so how did you get here?" Donna rolled her eyes.

"It's a long story."

"And who is he?" Emma asked with a slight stutter.

"OI! I'd appreciate you'd not talk about me as if I'm not here," The Doctor bristled. "I'm the Doctor."

Emma stared at him blankly. "Doctor who?"


	2. Chapter 2

"It's just the Doctor," Donna said plainly. "I know, I told him, he should get a REAL name, but he insists that the Doctor is his real name. What kind of monstrosity is that?"

Emma's mouth stayed agape.

"Oi! You gonna stand there and gawk until you catch flies, or are you gonna tell us what you did to get us here?" the Doctor demanded.

"Meow," Emma meowed.

"What?" Donna asked blankly. Emma suddenly shook her head.

"Oh, sorry about that. Uhm, don't mean to be nosy or anything, but how the hell did you two get here?"

"Through this blue box," the Doctor said cheerfully. "Listen, it's a little hard to explain, but it's sort of my spaceship." Henry beamed even wider.

"Cool! So you're an alien?" the Doctor nodded, smiling slightly.

"Well, I guess I am," the Doctor mumbled.

"I thought aliens were green," Henry said with a frown. The Doctor rolled his eyes.

"Ah, that is a vicious stereotype. No, I'm perfectly normal-ish colored, well, for humans at least. Plus, Gallifrey doesn't have green aliens. Sometimes Raxicoricofallipatorious does, but those are Slitheen. Experts at disguise, really- OW!" the Doctor yelled out as Donna smacked him in the arm.

"Stop it, Spaceman," she hissed. "Act normally." The Doctor rubbed his arm and sighed.

"Okay, fine. Hello, I'm the Doctor, this is my spaceship, yes, I am an alien, I'm the last of the time lords and something from this town pulled us out of the time vortex, and I need to know what it is," the Doctor said all in one breath. Emma gave him an odd look.

"Buddy, you're insane," Emma said slowly.

"Of course I am, otherwise it wouldn't be half as fun!" the Doctor said cheerfully. Emma stared at him blankly, before whipping out a gun.

"Sorry, gonna have to arrest you. The town doesn't take really well to newcomers and-"

"Yeah, blah, blah, stop making small talk while you have a gun pointed in my face," the Doctor moaned. "It's really quite rude, actually. Why can't I ever have a normal arrest?"

"Is there such a thing as a normal arrest?" Donna wondered blankly.

"Ahem," Emma said. "Gun. In my hand. Pointed at you. So stop talking."

"Nah, I think I'll talk as much as I like," the Doctor said cheerfully. "I mean, I'm the Doctor!"

"Yes, I got that the first time," Emma said, annoyed.

"Well then, you can't really arrest us if we stand in this park all day," the Doctor said quickly. Emma sighed.

"Alons-y!" the Doctor and Donna chorused cheerfully.

"Are you having fun?" Emma asked incredulously.

"Of course," the Doctor replied happily.


	3. Chapter 3

"Yeah, they just appeared in the road by a blue box. No, never seen them before. They think they're aliens," Emma spoke on the phone.

"OI!" Donna yelled. "I never said I was an alien!"

"And one has anger issues," Emma said softly.

"I HEARD THAT!"

"So you're like, really an alien?" Henry asked excitedly.

"Oh, yes, of course!" the Doctor said, before frowning. "Well, I guess I'm not an alien on my home planet, but..." the Doctor paused and a sad look crossed his face.

"Anyway," he continued after a moment, forcing a smile. "Mind if I scan the area for any telepathic traces?"

"No, but my mom might," Henry admitted.

"Whoa, crazy blonde lady is your mom?" Donna asked incredulously. "How the 'ell did she raise you to be such a great kid?" Henry beamed.

"Actually, I was raised by my other mom, Regina. Well, she's actually the Evil Queen, but she's also my step-great grandmother. Which is awkward, because she's also my adopted mom."

"Wait, wait, say that again," the Doctor said.

"She's my adopted mom?"

"No, the bit before that."

"She's the Evil Queen?"

"Yeah, that," the Doctor said with a frown. "What do you mean by that, exactly?"

"Well, she's the Evil Queen," Henry said.

"Yeah, I got that, I mean, what do you mean by that?"

Henry paused. "Oh, well, what happened is, she got mad with my grandma who is Emma's mom who is also Snow White, so she cast this curse that trapped every fairytale character ever inside this place, Storybrooke, and they didn't remember who they are, until Emma, my mom, broke the curse 'cos she's the savior because Rumplestiltskin who is also my dad's dad or my grandpa said she had to break the curse 'cos she was the savior. So she saved everyone and then-"

"Shh," Donna said.

"Okay," Henry said obediently.

"Stop spilling Storybrooke details to complete strangers, Henry," Emma whined. "Remember what happened last time we had people here?" Henry hung his head.

"Yeah."

"Wait, what happened?" the Doctor asked curiously.

"Well, what happened was- wait, why am I telling you this?" Emma frowned.

"I'm quite a pacifist, so I can't really threaten you, but I can promise you that I can help. Whatever is happening here, I can help," the Doctor said firmly.

"Right," Emma said, cracking a false smile. "The madman in a box."

"I applaud you," Donna deadpanned. "You've summed him up in five words."

"Please, just let me help you," the Doctor said. "I've scanned the area and there's high levels of telepathic traces. And they're still fresh, meaning we're in the room with someone that contains high amounts of energy."

"What do you mean?" Emma said blankly.

"I mean there's something going on here, and I am willing to be a pretty penny that you've got something to do with it," the Doctor said seriously.


	4. Chapter 4

"What? Me?" Emma asked. "Oh, come on, don't be ridiculous! I'm just the sheriff."

"Yeah, a sheriff who immediately arrested non-hostile civilians standing along the road," the Doctor said slowly.

"You could be up to something!" Emma defended.

"A sheriff who is alone in her office, surrounded by paperwork."

"Isn't that normal?" Emma wondered.

"A sheriff who is oozing with telepathic energy."

"How can you prove that?" Emma said, narrowing her eyes.

"A sheriff who made a fake phone call to a fake number," the Doctor said. Emma froze.

"How did you know that?" she asked, trepidation lacing her tone lightly.

"First of all, you didn't wait for it to ring, you just picked up the phone and started talking, and second of all, it was quite obvious. You can't lie very well, you know," the Doctor said seriously.

"Damn," Emma cursed. Henry gasped. "Sorry."

"Yeah, mind if I take a stroll out? It's a little cramped in here," the Doctor said, eyeing the green bars of his confinement.

"Yes, I do mind," Emma said. "The fact that you're making subtle threats means you're a danger."

"I would say you're just naturally nervous, but I don't think that's really what's going on here," the Doctor said slowly. "You're definitely hiding something."

"Hey, anyone want an ice-cream?" Henry asked to lighten the mood.

"Actually, yeah," Donna said.

"Me, too!" the Doctor said brightly.

"Stop offering food to the creepy people!" Emma whined. "Wait, where were you planning on getting the ice cream from anyway?"

Silence.

"I should really be going," the Doctor said.

"Good!" Emma said, relieved. "Yeah, get out of town. As far away as possible. Good-bye!"

"Can't really do that when I'm locked up, and I meant, get outside so I can investigate," the Doctor said, raising his sonic screwdriver and opening the door to his cell. "There, now, that's better."

"What the hell is that?" Emma asked, nervously glancing at the device.

"Sonic screwdriver," the Doctor replied cheerfully. "Doesn't do much, just opens doors."

"And 'urts people's ears," Donna said, screwing up her face.

"Touché," the Doctor admitted.

"All right, who the hell are you?" Emma asked, stopping the two from exiting the room.

"Oh, but I told you," the Doctor said. "I'm the Doctor and this is-"

"Donna, yeah, I got your names, I mean, WHO are you?"

"I'm not sure what you mean by that?"

"Quit playing games, who sent you?" Emma asked, tapping her foot. "That technology is too... futuristic. So I'll ask again. Who are you?"

"You'd never believe me," the Doctor answered simply.

"Then I won't let you leave," Emma said stubbornly. "I have a gun, you know."

"And I'm armed... with a screwdriver," the Doctor said.

"So what? Why a screwdriver?"

"Cos... when all else fails, screw it," the Doctor replied with a sheepish grin.


	5. Chapter 5

"Just tell me what," Emma pleaded as the Doctor walked out onto the street.

"I told you, I'm the Doctor."

"You know what I'm asking," Emma glared.

"Just stop bothering us, all right?" Donna growled.

"Ahh, the signal seems to be strongest here," the Doctor said. Emma's eyes widened, they were right in Regina's lawn.

"Oh, crap," the sheriff groaned.

"Aha!" the Doctor exclaimed. "So you do know, do you?"

"I don't know anything," Emma said stubbornly.

"Oh, but you do, you see," the Doctor mumbled. "There's definitely something going on here, and I need to know what, please, just trust me."

"You said that twice already, DUMBO," Donna declared angrily.

"Oi! Put a lid on that temper!" the Doctor said brazenly.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Regina asked as she walked up towards the group of four.

"No, not really, I mean, these two just barged into town," Emma said. Regina stared at her blankly.

"They crossed over the town line?"

"Oi, I'm here, you can talk to me too," the Doctor said with a wave. Regina eyed him suspiciously.

"You crossed over the town line, then?"

"Well, I suppose we did, I mean, otherwise, we wouldn't be in town, would we." the Doctor asked with a grin.

"This isn't a time to make idle jokes," Regina said with a frown.

"Aw, but what's the fun in that?" the Doctor mumbled. "Nah, I have a question, actually. You're bursting with all sorts of telepathic energy, and I'd like to know why."

"Great, just what we need, more trouble," Regina said, glancing off into the distance warily.

"Oh, thanks, it's great to know I'm appreciated," the Doctor said, Donna scoffing.

"Hi, I'm still here," Henry said with a wave, walking out from behind Emma.

"Henry? What are you doing here?" Regina asked.

"Just hangin', I guess," he mumbled. Regina looked back up at the Doctor and Donna.

"I think you should go," she said firmly.

"I think I should stay and run more scans on the area," the Doctor said cheerfully. "And let me tell you why. There's something going on here, something that isn't normal. And if I'm correct, it has the power to kill you all."

"It's none of your business, I'm the mayor and this is my town," Regina snapped.

"Yeah, I'm the Doctor and I'm gonna... help stuff. Now, tell me, what is going on here?"

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"You don't, but I give you my word. And I never let my word down. Besides, I don't seem like much of a threat, anyway. Don't I?"

Regina sighed. "Fine. Storybrooke is under a curse that I- I mean, someone cast to take us out of the Enchanted Forest to the 'real world'."

"Okay," the Doctor said, obviously he believed every word. "But how did that person cast it?"

"Magic," Regina said with a nervous glance.

"Oh, but that's impossible!" the Doctor said, running his hand through his hair. "No, there's no such thing as magic!"

Emma glared at Regina.

"Unless..." the Doctor paused. "Could it be? Transfer of different particles of energy from one world to the next? Or is it Huon particles again? Is it something to do with the water su-"

SMACK!

"Ow!" the Doctor yelled, holding his cheek. "Stop that!"

"Didn't you hear her, dumbo?" Donna snapped. "She said she used magic, so she used magic! Simple as that!"

"But there's got to be another explanation, Donna. There's simply no such thing as magic," the Doctor said, annoyed.

"Is that what that friend of yours, Rose, would say?" the Doctor froze upon mention of that name.

"That's none of your business," he snapped, before pausing another second, his demeanor slipping for a brief moment, before the facade was up again. "Magic, huh?"

* * *

_**So next chapter there will actually be some story progress instead of comebacks firing back and forth relentlessly. I've got the entire story prewritten from when I was on the cruise... so, yeah.**_

**_By the way, if anyone's wondering, yeah, I do ship TenxDonna. Not mushy stuff, though, mostly friendship stuff. I ship NinexRose and TenxRose, which shows you that yes indeed I am a Rose fan. And a Ten fan as well._**

**_Anyway... please do R&R, although at this point they're not required to make me update. I don't like to haggle with readers or blackmail them to review, so this is all your choice._**

**_Thanks!_**

**_—Samantha Morrison—_**


	6. Chapter 6

"Well, I don't believe a word of it, so, prove to me that this so-called magic exists," the Doctor said smugly. Emma and Regina glanced at each other for a minute.

"Why should we make a risk like that?" Emma asked. "For all we know, you're another scientist who wants to dissect us and take out our guts. Study us to death."

"Nah, not really that kind of guy," the Doctor said. "Besides, I wouldn't dare dissect another sentient being, I mean, it's already been done to me, myself," he continued with a grin. "Not on my list of favorite things to do." Emma gawked at him, how could he be so cheerful discussing such a subject.

"Anyway, some may call me a scientist, but I promise you, I'm much cooler than the kind that enjoys pulling out people's guts," the Doctor said, winking at Donna.

"Well, uh, okay," Emma said finally. "Still... I'm not comfortable proving it to you..."

"I'll do it," Regina said bravely.

"You don't-"

"Well, I'm already gonna, I mean, he could be our ticket to get back home," Regina bristled.

"Fine," Emma groaned.

The group watched, fascinated, as Regina raised her hand and a purplish spark danced upwards.

"What the-" Donna started, the Doctor moved in front of her silencing her.

"What is that?" he asked, pushing his glasses onto his nose and pulling out his sonic screwdriver, running a scan. He whacked the device a few times against his palm, looked at the results, and frowned. "Wh-"

"Whatisit?" Donna gasped as she looked over the Doctor's shoulder to see the device, Regina lowered her palm.

"Nothing!" the Doctor said with a frown, looking up. "The scan reads nothing! Absolutely nothing!"

"Look again," Donna said, the Doctor looked back down. There was a faint result.

"By Rassalion, is that what I think it is?" the Doctor asked.

"What is it?" Donna asked, annoyed.

"No, it can't be..."

"What is it?!"

"I can't believe this..."

"WHAT. IS. IT."

The Doctor looked up. "It's-"

"WHAT?!"

"I was just saying," the Doctor said with a sigh. "The readings say that it's squid ink."


	7. Chapter 7

"That's it?" Donna asked. "Squid ink, then?"

"Never gonna look at that stuff the same way again," Henry muttered.

"No, not just normal squid ink, the rare Jolockos squid. But that's been extinct for hundreds of years, how did you find it?" the Doctor asked, looking up. Regina frowned.

"Don't ask me, go talk to Mr. Gold," she said simply.

"Wait, stay still," the Doctor said, running a scan on Regina, before tapping the pen-like device again. "Agh! I need the TARDIS for this one, the sonic's going all wonky."

"Can you turn the volume down on that thing, it's annoying," Emma groaned.

"No, otherwise it wouldn't be sonic!" the Doctor said with a frown.

"Never mind that, what's a TARDIS?" Henry asked.

"My spaceship," the Doctor answered. "Listen, I know it sounds weird, but I need you both to come back there so I can run a scan."

Emma groaned.

* * *

The entire ride there was one of silence, and when the group stepped out they were relieved that they would finally, well, hopefully, get to the bottom of this turmoil.

"That's your spaceship?" Regina asked incredulously. "It's... tiny." she scoffed.

"You'll see," Donna said with a grin as the Doctor unlocked the doors.

The doors flew open and the Doctor gasped. "No, but that's impossible!" he ran inside the box and madly hit all the walls. "The TARDIS is... tiny!"

"It's a blue box, what do you expect?" Emma asked, peeking inside. There were four tiny walls, it looked like a normal London phone box, very small and able to fit two at most.

"What?" Donna shrieked, running towards the opening. "But where's the big room thing!"

"Gone," the Doctor gasped. "It's like..."

"Magic," Henry answered. "Have you tried taking it over the town line?"

"The what line?" Donna asked as the Doctor frantically opened the TARDIS and closed it over and over again.

"You know, take it out of town," Henry said.

"Hopefully they won't burn down to ashes when they leave town," Emma commented, Regina glaring in her direction.

"You need to stop interacting with me, I bet the SwanQueen shippers are having a field day," she brutally snapped.

"Aw, come on, you know there's no such thing," Emma teased.

"AAAH!" the Doctor yelled, falling out of the box as Donna yanked him by the tie.

"That's it!" Donna yelled. "Just get the box and drive it out of town." the Doctor gawked at her.

"What's that got to do with anythin-"

"JUST DO IT!" Donna yelled, before turning to Emma and Regina.

"Hey," she said sweetly. "I just want to know, have either of you got a truck or a towing device?"


	8. Chapter 8

"This is insanity," Emma mumbled as she stepped back out of the truck. "How do you even know this will work?"

"Oi! Stop asking questions, you're sucking the fun out of everything," Donna exclaimed.

"But-"

"Shut it, funsucker!"

"I'm not-"

"It's like she's eaten something bad again," the Doctor said, petting the TARDIS as it was lowered onto the ground over the town line. "She's sick. Or the atmosphere is messed up."

"It's a box," Regina said simply. "You're petting a box."

"Well, yeah, but let's face it, don't we all pet boxes sometimes?" Donna said with a sly smile.

"Oh, it's much more than a box," the Doctor said with a grin as he unlocked the doors. "YES! Everything seems to be functioning correctly!" the Doctor stepped into the box and into the control room of the TARDIS.

"What the hell?" Emma gasped, staring into the thing. It was huge on the inside.

"It's much more voluminous on the interior," Regina said in awe. The Doctor scrunched up his face.

"You're supposed to say, 'it's bigger on the inside'. Anything other than that when one walks in here is just as bad as hearing 'exterminate'!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"What's exterminate mean?" Henry asked, scrunching up his nose cutely.

"I think it means kill," Emma said.

"How violent," Henry said in mock horror, although a giant grin was visible on his face.

"How is this even possible?" Regina asked, glancing around. She tapped the controls with a finger and the room hummed with color.

"Oi! Stay away from that!" the Doctor yelled, running towards Regina and yanking her hands off.

"But-"

"My spaceship!"

"W-"

"MINE!"

"Okay, then," Regina said, stepping back.

"All right, lemme run a test," the Doctor said, tapping some controls and getting absorbed in his task.

Henry looked up to see Emma smiling largely. "What is it?"

"I just realized we crossed the town line. And we still have our memories."

"I didn't even notice," Regina gasped. "I was too caught up in the machine thingy."

"It's called a TARDIS," the Doctor called.

"Okay, well, the TURDIS," Regina corrected.

"T-A-R-D-I-S!"

"Fine!"

"Stand still, let me run a scan," the Doctor said, dragging Regina up to the controls and pressing a few buttons. "Hold still, I'm gonna put this helmet on you. It won't hurt a bit, promise." Regina flinched as a metal device was put on her head.

"Is this really necessary?" she asked nervously, when Donna looked up she noticed the mayor had turned a little white.

"It's not like he's gonna electrocute you or anything," Donna joked, although Regina didn't seem to be comforted by this comment.

"All right, all done," the Doctor said, removing the helmet. "Emma? Your turn."

"Ow," Emma commented. "It's a bit small," she mumbled as the Doctor put the helmet on her head.

"Maybe your head is big," the Doctor joked. Emma glared at him.

"Not funny."

"Maybe so, but just 'cos I'm not funny doesn't mean I can't have fun from time to time," the Doctor said with a wry grin. "All right, finished." he removed the device and placed it back onto the TARDIS. "So, where to start?"

"Uhm, so, you're an alien from another planet?" Henry asked.

"Yeah," the Doctor said.

"Cool," the boy replied with a grin. "Do you speak like alien-ish languages and stuff? Do you say take me to your leader?"

"Yeah, although they aren't really alien languages if you consider it," the Doctor commented. "I mean, a person isn't a tourist if they're in their home island, are they? I've always wanted to say 'take me to your leader', but I'll wait for the opportunity to present itself."

"What can this machine do?" Henry asked.

"Lots of stuff, but it mostly take me places," the Doctor said simply, not wanting to reveal the TARDIS' time travel powers.

"Is it supposed to do that?" Henry asked, pointing towards the machine where sparks were flying everywhere.

"Uh," the Doctor said, turning around. "no."


	9. Chapter 9

"What's going on?" Emma gasped as the TARDIS jumped around.

"We're moving!" the Doctor said with a frown. "Why are we moving?"

"You idiot, you messed up the controls!" Donna yelled, grabbing her hair.

"I didn't do anything!" the Doctor shouted back. "The TARDIS is having a full-out tantrum, I think she's gonna kick us out!"

"Then do what you came to do and get the results!" Donna yelled back.

"They fight like a married couple," Regina dryly observed.

"No joke," Henry muttered.

"We're crashing!" the Doctor yelled as the TARDIS shook about. "Out, out, out! As soon as we hit the ground, everyone out! Donna, grab the fire extinguisher from the corner and pass it to me. I'm gonna stay behind to finish downloading the results."

"All right," Donna said, plunking the thing into his hands.

"Get ready to jump!" the Doctor shouted.

"You're insane, this is insane, why do we have to jump as soon as it lands?" Regina gasped.

"Cos' the gas is gonna kill you," Donna answered.

"You've done this before?" Emma asked in disbelief. Donna chuckled to herself and opened the door slightly.

"All right, one... two... three... JUMP!" the three landed on the ground the instant the TARDIS crashed, the Doctor bolting out a second later and brandishing the extinguisher around. Regina grabbed Henry and checked he was okay.

"Are you okay? No bruises? Cuts? Burns?"

"I'm fine, Mom," Henry groaned.

"Just checking," Regina said, before looking up at the Doctor. "What the hell was that, we all could've been killed!"

"Actually, first of all, you wouldn't have been killed, since you aren't technically speaking human, and second of all, the TARDIS wouldn't kill anyone, even when it's upset," the Doctor scoffed.

"Wait, what?" Emma asked. "What do you mean we're not human?" she asked annoyed. "I'm pretty human!"

"Just 'cos you look human?" the Doctor said smugly. "What, I look human, too, but I'm obviously not, I've got two hearts."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Regina wondered.

"I had the TARDIS run a scan on you to see what type of energy that surrounds you, and I found out that it's definitely Jolockos squid ink. Super rare, can only be found in the Enchanted Forest as you said. Species from the Enchanted Forest is specifically-"

"Don't call us 'species', it sounds rude," Emma said with a frown.

"Fine, people from the Enchanted Forest tend to be of the race, well, human, but not exactly. See, the Enchanted Forest is basically bursting with this type of energy that makes those around it susceptible to squid ink, preferably the Jolockos squid ink, meaning that pretty much anything that's got to do with the ocean can change you," the Doctor explained.

"This means that if you, say, consume the ink, then you'll gain whatever powers the creature previously had, meaning that you're basically both squids," the Doctor said with a smirk.


	10. Chapter 10

"I'm... a squid," Regina said slowly. "Well, I've been called a lot of things in the past, but squid is something new, I'm afraid."

"Well, it does depend," the Doctor said. "The Jolockos squid has strong telepathic energy, have you ever seen it? It's huge... probably all that power packed into your little human self was a little too much, which is why you can do so much with just a little sniff."

"I don't get it, though, I can't remember being exposed to anything squid-like," Emma said with a frown, before stopping. "Wait a minute... I think I did, actually, when I was in Rumplestiltskin's cell a while back. He wrote my name over and over in squid ink..."

"Wait, so does that mean if I eat a leaf I'll become a tree?" Henry asked excitedly.

"Actually, no. In this case, it's mainly sensitive to ocean or sealike substances," the Doctor said slowly.

"Although it'd take a while for seawater to really get to you. You'd have to frequently be swimming around in the stuff for say a week. Any mermaid sightings recently? Might be because of the sensitivity."

"I don't believe this," Regina groaned.

"Oh, don't tell me you're Ursula, because this face is not one that would look good with tentacles," Emma said with another groan. Regina glared at her.

"So all this magic stuff is just 'cos of a squid?" Henry asked. "That's disappointing."

"No, not really, this is just the basic center of it, but I will admit not all of it can be explained scientifically," the Doctor admitted. "Still... I'm sure if I had my family we'd have it in a heartbeat. There's just something I'm missing."

The group stood in silence for a little while longer, before Donna broke it.

"So, where are we even?" she asked, glancing around.

"Looks like we're near Gold's shop," Emma said with a frown. "That's odd. It's like-"

"Like it was attracted to something in here," the Doctor spoke slowly.


	11. Chapter 11

"This is like one of those mystery thingies!" Henry cheered.

"Hey, Henry, how about I get you home so you can take your meds?" Emma asked.

"I don't take meds," Henry said with a frown.

"Well, it's never too late to start," Emma said smugly.

"Was that really necessary?" Henry inquired.

"No, not really, I'm just stalling so we can get to commercial/chapter break without really divulging any important information," Emma said simply.

"Oh," Henry said.

"Hello?" the Doctor asked as he poked his head into Gold's store. "Anybody home?"

"Can't really be at home if this isn't my house to begin with," Gold said smugly.

"Ooh, I like him, he's all snarky!" the Doctor said with a grin. "Now, I'd like to inquire about something..."

"Can I help myself to this?" Emma asked, holding out a bottle of alcohol. "No? Okay."

"You shouldn't be drinking," Regina said sternly as she watched Emma chug.

"Who are you, my mother?" Emma smirked.

"Actually, yes, your step grandmother," Regina said. "Think outside the box, dear."

"Oh. That's awkward," Emma mumbled. "Wait, but what if the box is bigger on the inside?"

"...I believe you have a strong supply of squid ink from the rare Jolockos squid, it's a simply inquiry, really," the Doctor continued, Mr. Gold watching him carefully.

"Then you may inquire elsewhere," he said coldly. "We're closed."

"Well, don't you think you can make an exception for me?" the Doctor asked.

"Just who are you, anyway?" Gold asked.

"Well, I'm the Doctor," the Doctor said with a grin. "And don't ask if I'm licensed because I'm in no mood to perform surgery."

"Do people ask you to do that?" Donna asked with a frown.

"Once or twice," the Doctor said with a sheepish smile. "It's really not your concern, I'm just studying this type of squid ink."

"An inquiry of my own, if you may, just how do you know about the Jolockos squid?" Mr. Gold asked the Doctor, studying the man closely. "I believe-"

"It's only known to few people living in the Enchanted Forest, yes, I know that too," the Doctor said. "Trust me, I'm smarter than I look. Yeah, believe it or not, it's possible to be sexy and smart at the same time." he clicked his tongue at the end of his statement.

"You're just about as sexy as you are smart," Donna said smugly.

"Why, thanks," the Doctor said. "Wait... was that an insult?"

"If you've come to bother me with idle chat, then may I suggest leaving?" Gold asked coldly.

"Man, what's up with you villains here? So cold. And too formal for my likes, have fun some time!" the Doctor punched him in the arm playfully, and Gold grabbed a bottle of disinfectant and sprayed the area the Doctor had touched.

"Oi! That's a rude thing to do," Donna said with a frown.

"So is that," Gold said, pointing to Emma who was running around the shop with a blindfold on.

"What is she doing?" Donna wondered.

"I think Blind Man's Bluff," the Doctor said. "I'd be tempted to join in if I wasn't in the middle of some serious business. Now, then, Mr. Gold, where is your stash of this squid ink?"

"I don't have squid ink, if that's what you're saying," Mr. Gold said warily.

"Really? Then why is the sonic picking up high traces of squid ink in this very shop, Mr. Gold?" the Doctor asked, raising an eyebrow. "My guess is that you're hiding something, and guess what? (Don't actually guess, though, it'll ruin the punch line.) I'm gonna find out."


	12. Chapter 12

"That sounded like a line from a cheesy movie," Donna said with a frown.

"Well, it is a line from a cheesy movie, well, a cheesy fanfiction, but that's not the point, the point is that there is a point that you should answer," the Doctor said, playing with a globe resting on the shelf.

"Pardon?"

"You heard me loud and clear," the Doctor said. "Trust me, you may think you have everything in control, but you don't. And if you think that you hid this-" the Doctor paused and held out a very familiar book- brown binding and a tiny red heart-shaped stone in the middle- out. "from me, then you are so, so wrong."

"How did you-" Gold started, before the Doctor cut him off.

"Really, you should think before handing this little thing off to Regina, I mean, God knows who she's gonna give it to," the Doctor said happily. "Now, I must congratulate you. Transfer of fluid to dry ink? Absolutely brilliant."

"What." Gold growled.

"Well, you obviously wrote this book, along with that big 'ol brown thing that Henry's got, what's it called, 'Once Upon A Time'? Squid ink wording... absolutely brilliant. You put the spells inside the spellbook," the Doctor said.

"That's what I thought a spellbook was, a book with spells in it," Emma mumbled.

"Does it matter?" Gold growled, ignoring Emma.

"Yes, it does, actually, because you've hidden something in this town. You created the dark curse, but not just to find your son. As we speak... this town grows more and more unstable."

"What are you talking about?" Regina asked nervously.

"The failsafe?" the Doctor asked. "Emma as the savior? All of this, the curse, isn't just to get his son back. It's to use the power of this world, all of it, to turn back time. Using what? Squid ink, primarily. This place is bursting with it... just think about it. Air-soft guns have pressurized air in them which pushes the bullet out, right?"

"Yeah," Regina said slowly. "I suppose so."

"That's what Storybrooke is like- a big cannon. Those town walls aren't going to last forever, because soon they will crumble and all this pressurized air- all the pressurized magic and squid ink- is gonna shoot around the earth faster than the blink of an eye. An impact like that would turn back time," the Doctor said gravely. "The question it, why? Why would you want to turn back time, Gold?" the Doctor asked, looking the man in the eye.

"That," Gold snapped. "is none of your business."

The Doctor paused for a moment. "C'mon, we should go, Donna," he said finally. "I need time to work this out." he led Regina, Henry and Donna out of the shop, but Emma stayed back for a brief moment.

"Thanks for the cake!" Emma said cheerfully.

"...Miss Swan, I didn't give you any cake," Gold said slowly.

"Oh. Right," Emma said blankly. "Really, what's up with villains and saying 'Miss Swan'?"

Pause.

"Well, I better get going, I guess. And just before I get in my cat, let me just tell you I am totally not drunk," Emma said as she swayed.

"Get in your cat?" Mr. Gold asked with a frown. "You do that, Miss Swan."

"THE CAKE IS A LIE!" Emma yelled as she fell outside.


	13. Chapter 13

"So, what do you think Gold has planned?" Donna finally asked as she watched Henry swing on the swingset.

"I don't know, but I think he wants to go back in time and prevent something from happening," the Doctor said slowly. "Something... or someone. Question is, who does he want to do away with?"

"You're like somebody I've seen on television," Emma said. "Like a weird version of... what's his name? Oh, Sherlock! There we go, you're a weird Sherlock."

"Um, thanks," the Doctor said, before turning around, absorbed in thought.

"Emma," Regina said.

"Yeah?" Emma asked.

"No, I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to the Doctor," Regina said.

"Ohh," the Doctor said after a moment of silence.

"What?" Emma asked. "What is it?"

"Oh, no," the Doctor said.

"What's 'oh-no'? Why are you talking about me?" Emma asked nervously.

"It's you," he said slowly. "I am so, so, sorry, really, I really am, but, Emma... you're gonna die."

"What? Why?!" Emma gasped, jumping up. "What do you mean? You guys are kidding, right? You're kidding. I know you're kidding."

"This isn't a joke, Emma," Donna said. "I think the Doctor's being serious."

"It was in the curse, Emma," Regina finally said. "The saviors death."

"What? And no one ever told me about it?!" Emma asked. "You told the Doctor and you didn't even tell me?"

"It wasn't like I really had a choice!" Regina said, her voice rising. "Charming and Snow would kill me! Literally kill me!"

"You had no right," Emma said angrily. "You kept it to yourself... because you were too scared to say it. You take this back, you fix it NOW!"

"Go yell at Gold, he's the one who made the curse!" Regina shouted. "I was just his guinea pig, the one who cast it! It was all foreseen!"

"Shut up and calm down!" Donna screamed. "Look at you two, arguing away, look at the Doctor, sitting there like a stone, and in this time, nobody even noticed that Henry's missing from the swingset!"

The two women stared at each other in horror, back at Donna, then behind them, where the swing was empty.

"That is very, very not good," the Doctor said.

"What, he probably just ran off from all the shouting," Donna scoffed. "I would, too. Was tempted to, anyway."

"No, no, it's worse than that," the Doctor groaned, standing and running his hand through his hair. "It's a sign. A sign that time's being rewritten."

"That better not mean what I think it means," Regina said slowly. "Are you telling me..."

"Henry's just been erased from time," the Doctor whispered.


	14. Chapter 14

"How is that possible?!" Regina demanded. "HOW?"

"Time isn't a straight line, it's like a bowl of wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff. Time's in constant flux, you can be born in 2009 and die in the 1900's," the Doctor groaned. "Things have been erased from time, I've seen it with my own eyes."

"Well, you get him back then, goddamnit!" Emma shouted. "Do something with your TURDIS!"

"Actually, I think I will," the Doctor said, walking off to the TARDIS.

"What, you're just gonna leave us here?!" Regina yelled. "You don't get it, Henry was the one keeping me alive all these years! I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for him!"

"What are you even doing?" Emma snapped. "Don't just run off into your blue box!"

"Oi! Never said you couldn't come, besides, I'm not that kind of guy," the Doctor said with a wink. "Hurry up, get in, all of you." he ushered Donna, Regina, and Emma into the box.

"What are we even going to do here?" Regina asked, exasperated.

"Are we running away?" Emma snapped. "Listen, your TURDIS only-"

"First of all, no, we never run away," the Doctor said sharply, his gaze turning dark. "Second of all, it's called a TARDIS. T-A-R-D-I-S. And third of all... I might've neglected to mention... it doesn't only move places. It's a time machine."

Emma grabbed onto the rail as the TARDIS trembled and squealed as they journeyed back into time.

"I don't get it!" Emma shouted. "What is the point of this?!"

"I need to go back in time and find out why Rumplestiltskin wants you dead," the Doctor said. "And the only way we're gonna be able to do that is in here."

"How will you know where to go?!" Regina shouted. The Doctor grinned.

"I don't. The TARDIS always takes me where I need to go."

"You talk about this thing like it's alive," Emma said slowly.

"Oh, it's very, very alive," the Doctor said. "Now hold on tight!"

"Just tell me one thing," Regina said finally. "Tell me Henry's going to be all right."

"I-"

"Just say it!" Regina snapped.

"I promise he'll be fine," the Doctor said.

"How do you even know he'll be okay?" Emma asked after a moment of silence. "I mean, you wouldn't say it if you didn't think it was true."

"You'll see," was all the Doctor said. "But not right now. But sometime... you'll see."

* * *

"We're in a forest," Emma said as she opened the door of the TARDIS. "Why are we in a forest?"

"I don't know," the Doctor admitted. "Something important must've happened here."

"But what-" Regina started, before the Doctor cut her off.

"Shh."

"What?"

"Shh."

"Why the 'shh'?" Emma wondered.

"I think he wants us to be quiet," Donna advised.

"Shh."

"Why do we have to be quiet?" Regina asked.

"SHH!"

"Sorry," Emma whispered, and, as she stopped talking, she realized she could hear voices.

"...this time, leave out..."

"...you will find your son... a boy will lead you to him. But the boy will also be your undoing."

"...Well, then, I'll just have to kill him..."

"Into the TARDIS, now," the Doctor said, ushering the group back inside and closing the door. "We've got what we need."

"I don't understand, who was it?" Regina asked.

"A prophet or someone seemed to be telling our very favorite Mr. Gold what his future would be," the Doctor said grimly.

"Prophet? Or are you talking about a seer? I've heard about those with the ability to see time," Regina said slowly.

"I know why he wants Henry gone," Emma said hoarsely.

"What are you talking about?" Regina asked.

"I head them. The seer said that he'd find his son, that a boy would lead him to him," Emma said. "Henry was there when we found Neal..."

"So what?" Regina snapped.

"The seer said the boy would be his undoing," Emma said. "I remember when were at Neal's, Gold said something about how he got stabbed by Hook, how Henry did something to make it happen..."

"Oh," the Doctor said. "Oh, Emma, you are brilliant. Really, you are, because I think I just figured out everything."

"What?" Donna asked.

"Rumplestiltskin wants to erase you and Henry from time," the Doctor explained. "We know that much. But in order to erase just Henry from time, he'd also need to erase you and his son, which we obviously know he doesn't want to do."

"I can't believe you told him about me and Neal!" Emma said, turning to Regina, who shrugged.

"I didn't tell him anything. What do you think he was really scanning when he put that thing on our heads?"

"Oh," was all Emma said. "Wait, why does he need to erase us three from time?"

"Yeah, sorry about that," the Doctor said. "Anyway, the reason he needs to erase all three of you from time is because he's only got limited power. He'd have to wipe out the entire Charming family tree just to get one person outta there. Parents, siblings, anyone with the same related DNA as Henry. DNA specific erasings are simple to do."

"Gross," Emma said with a shudder.

"But the thing is, he doesn't want to eradicate Neal, so what he's gonna do is turn back time and stop you and Neal from meeting. He'd be able to do this with his memory intact, so he would know where his son was. He wouldn't need you," the Doctor said. "That's why he needs the Earth. Concentrated power, but only for those who've directly had contact with squid ink- which includes you, Regina, and maybe a couple others, but him most of all. He's literally like a giant squid. He can control time on Earth, well, with limits, but, even so..."

"B-but what does this have to do with Emma dying?" Donna asked.

"He'd have to get rid of Emma to stop Henry happening, to stop Neal meeting her..." the Doctor said sadly. "You can't really dodge your fate... Well, not in fixed points in time like that, which was the foundation of Emma finding Storybrooke."

"Then let it happen," Regina said finally. "Why are you meddling with this? With fate? Why do you care if this town burns?"

"Because," the Doctor said with a grin. "I'm the Doctor. THE rebel. You gotta problem with that?" Regina stayed silent. "No? Well, good. 'Cos I'm gonna go pick up Henry now. Alons-y!"

* * *

_**If anyone's wondering why the chapter was longer than usual, just know that it's because I'm still guiltily sulking about how I'm not finished with the new Once Upon A Time In Disneyland chapter and I was SUPPOSED TO UPDATE TODAY HJLKHJHDLBLKJ**_


	15. Chapter 15

"He's mad," Regina finally said as the Doctor flipped switches on on the TARDIS. "Absolutely bonkers!"

"What are you doing?!" Emma yelled. "You can't just go pick up Henry, he doesn't exist!"

"Actually, he does," the Doctor said. "Remember how Regina told us she wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Henry?"

"Yeah," Emma said carefully.

"Well, she's still here," the Doctor said cheerfully.

"What does that even mean?" Emma asked, exasperated. "It isn't like you can go back in time and pluck him right off that swing he vanished on-"

Pause.

"Oh," was all Emma said.

"And if he never existed in time, do you think we would even remember him?" Donna pointed out, she was catching on.

"You can stop now, I already feel stupid," Emma scoffed.

"Just sayin'," Donna said with a shrug.

"Henry!" the Doctor whispered, cracking the door of the TARDIS open.

"Doctor?" Henry asked, his eyes widening. "What are you doing here?" he looked out on the playground where the other Doctor sat on a rock facing the opposite direction. "What are you doing there?"

"Listen, Henry, it's hard to explain, but I need you to come with me, now, before I turn around or we're gonna make a paradox."

"I- I don't understand," Henry said, confused.

"I know, just get in here," the Doctor said, ushering Henry towards him. "Get off the swing and run in here." the Doctor stole a quick glance at the past group of people.

"What? And no one ever told me about it?! You told the Doctor and you didn't even tell me?" Emma shouted.

"Just listen, yeah?" Donna asked, popping her head out from the box. "We're us from the future. We'll explain later, just get in 'ere!"

"So confused," Henry said as he took a seat next to Emma on the TARDIS.

"I don't get it, yeah, why does Henry need to be here?" Donna asked.

"We're creating a paradox in time," the Doctor explained. "For example, if Henry doesn't die by Gold's hand, if he dies before he never existed in time, then a paradox will be created."

"You're gonna kill Henry?!" Regina asked in disbelief.

"Naw, I was just giving an example," the Doctor said. "Pacifist, remember?"

Emma scoffed.

"Anyway, what I'm hoping is that by keeping Henry safe in the TARDIS I'll be able to create something strong enough of a paradox- prevent Gold from erasing him from time," the Doctor explained. "Nobody dies- those are the best ones."

"Who are you?" Emma finally asked. "You talk about death, pain, loss... like it's nothing. You act like this is a normal day, that you enjoy this... And don't lie, because it's obvious that you're having fun."

"I... ah..." the Doctor said, before looking up at the TARDIS monitor. "Hey, look, we've landed."

"Landed where?" Donna asked quietly.

"We're back at Gold's," the Doctor said.

"What are you gonna do, how are you gonna stop him?" Emma asked.

"He wants to erase Henry from time because he doesn't want Neal to realize what he's done," the Doctor said. "He doesn't want to lose his son. So what are we gonna do?"

"Hopefully not something stupid," Regina mumbled.

"No, of course I wasn't gonna say that," the Doctor said with a frown as he pushed open the doors of the TARDIS to find none other than Gold, standing with a revolver level to the Doctor's eyes.

"Right," the Doctor finally said. "The weather is nice today. I mean, it's so... shiny," he continued as he stared into the barrel of the gun.

Gold sniffed and cocked the gun.

"Oi, put that thing down, and quit ignoring me," the Doctor said. "If you're gonna shoot me, be polite about it!"

In the background, Regina slowly moved Henry to the back of the TARDIS.

"You know, I bet with all that's 'appening, you're pretty tired. Should go get a drink or something," the Doctor continued. "Meet up with someone at the Rabbit Hole."

Gold took a step back.

"Wondering how I knew that, yeah?" the Doctor continued, stepping further and further out of the TARDIS. "Let me tell you something, Mr. Gold. I'm here to stop this happening. And if this means I have to stop you, so be it. I know what you're up to, and all you need to know is that this. Ends. Today."

* * *

"Whoahohoho!" Donna chortled as she rocketed out of the shop. "That was awesome. I bloody love you! It's almost like Pompeii. You can be so funny sometimes, ya know that? So funny and... you're quiet. What's wrong?"

"It's Gold," the Doctor said, quickening his pace.

"You're gonna stop him, right?" Henry asked, the Doctor looked at him and something- maybe sadness- passed his face, but it was gone in a moment as if nothing had happened.

"Yeah, I promise you, Henry," the Doctor said. "Anything it takes."

* * *

The group had returned back to Emma's house. Surprisingly, no one was home, almost as if Storybrooke was empty. Which was ridiculous, because Emma had seen her parents this morning. Probably just out shopping or doing... things... at Granny's.

"So now what?" Donna asked. "We sit here, on the couch, in a bloody house? So much for 'this stops today', mate."

"Uhm, Emma, Regina, can I have a word?" the Doctor asked.

"Yeah?" Emma asked.

"In... private," the Doctor said, nodding towards Donna and Henry. "It's... ah, well, it's important."

"Okay," Emma said carefully. Regina scoffed and watched as Donna and Henry left the room.

"It's about Henry," the Doctor said slowly.

"Better make sure they leave the house, he's always listening in," Emma joked.

"Yeah," the Doctor said blankly. "Listen... Henry... he's... well, he seems to be connected in the middle of everything."

"What do you mean?" Regina asked, annoyed.

"Think about it like this, yeah? A tower of sticks, say. There's one stick at the bottom that's holding everything up. But if you remove it..."

"It all falls apart," Emma said. "So what you're telling us is..."

"Henry's got something to do with the situation. Not intentionally, he doesn't even know, but there's just... something about him that's off."

"I've always known our family was a bit dysfunctional, but this is just weird," Emma said, shaking her head.

"You don't say," Regina said dryly. "So what do you mean? What's so important about this that you can't tell Henry?"

"If I stop this," the Doctor said. "Henry might... Well, he might..."

"He might what?!" Emma asked.

"Well, he might... die," the Doctor said.

"This is your fault!" Regina snapped, standing up. "Why couldn't you just leave things on their own, why did you have to come here? Tell me, Doctor, if you'd never come here, would this even be happening?"

"No," the Doctor admitted. "But you wouldn't be able to stop it... you wouldn't even remember him, your own son. It would end in more devastation... is that really what you want?"

"Maybe," Regina said icily.

"But it's wrong," Henry said. "It's really wrong."

"Henry?!" Regina asked. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Mom... Emma... it's okay. Really, you need to stop Rumplestiltskin. Nobody else needs to die," Henry said.

"But Henry, I can't lose you," Regina said, crouching down, tears waterfall-ing from her eyes as she stroked his hair.

"You lied," Donna said, pulling the Doctor to the side as Henry spoke to Regina. "You didn't take him here for a paradox, did you?"

"Rule number one, the Doctor lies!" the author screamed, breaking the fourth wall.

"Shh!" the Doctor hissed at the sky.

"Well, you can't just... fix things," Donna said stubbornly. "Haven't you got something to... stop it? Do people really have to die?"

"Donna, really, what do I do then?" the Doctor asked breathlessly. "If I don't, then a whole town full of people will die."

"And if you do then you'll be the killer of Henry," Donna said slowly. "Isn't there another way? There's always got to be another way!"

"Not now," the Doctor said. "But this is wrong. I can't... I can't..."

"Doctor," Donna said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's gonna be okay."

"Wow," one of the readers remarked. "It's like a crappy soap opera."

"Right," the Doctor said. "We need to go."

"I won't let you," Regina said stubbornly.

"Mom, you have to," Henry said. "'Cos this is the whole town. These are all my friends, my family, my loved ones, and I don't want them all to die because I couldn't do it. So please just let me. Please."

"You're not thinking right," Regina said. "You need a minute to calm down."

"Henry's right," Emma said finally. "We have to. It's our only chance. Because if he doesn't, he'll die anyway. We'll all die."

"This is not your decision to make, it's MINE!" Regina snapped. "He is my son!"

"No, it's not, it's mine," Henry said softly. "And I say do it. Do it, Doctor."

"But-"

"Right," the Doctor said. "Yeah. Because I'm just supposed to... Henry, you're a kid."

"Duh," Henry said with a smile. "And that's why I need to."


	16. Chapter 16 (Final Chapter)

"All right, then," the Doctor said as he stepped up into Mr. Gold's shop. "Hello, there!"

"Doctor," Mr. Gold greeted.

"Right, then, let's cut to the chase," the Doctor said. "No use sitting 'round, wasting dialogue. You've done something to Henry. Now, I'd like to know, what is it?"

"Like I'm gonna tell you," Gold scoffed.

"Right," the Doctor said. "Can I offer you... a drink?"

"May as well," Gold said, taking the glass, pausing, and then handing it back to the Doctor. "You take a sip first."

"Ohh, certainly," the Doctor said, taking a sip. "Yep, not poison. Although sometimes I feel like all alcohol is poison anyway. You?"

"Same," Gold said cautiously, taking a sip.

"Now, then, where were we? Oh, yeah, right," the Doctor said. "Listen, 'cos I'm only gonna say it once. Although you can reread it as many times as you want on FanFiction, but whatever. I'm giving you one chance. Let Henry go or I'll stop you."

"Is that all ya want, dearie?" Gold sneered. "You walk in here with no weapons but I can see you're very well armed with words. Maybe on Mars, words can kill, but in Storybrooke, words are just words."

"Exactly," the Doctor said with a grin. "But don't you think that's what makes it brilliant? Storybook. Think about it. One minute, they're a jumbled collection of words, scattered across a page. And then, in the next, they come together to form a story. Something tangible, something... something real, almost. Words need authors, writers, to create a story. But the thing is... sometimes you can get lost in what's real and what's a fairytale."

"What have you done?" Gold asked quietly, looking into his drink.

"I did warn you," the Doctor said. "I told you. You're the source, you know. The author. Like I said, without the author, words crumble and turn into dust, just into scratches on paper. And in reality? That's all Storybrooke is. Just a story. Yeah, I figured it out from the moment I got here," the Doctor said, walking closer to Gold.

"The air is saturated with Squid Ink," the Doctor continued. "And the reason you get power from squid ink is because you're just a story. That's it, just a story. And in a story, a single word can have incredible power. It can rewrite characters and give... power. Magic."

"What are you saying?" Gold asked through gritted teeth.

"Storybrooke isn't real," Emma said, emerging into the shop with Regina, Henry, and Donna. "None of it is. It's a story. These people we see, the town, aren't real. You did more than create the curse that brought us here. You created the place that we came to. Prince Charming, Snow White, Red Riding Hood, all of them? Not real. And by defeating you, they'll cease to exist," Emma said slowly.

"And that's okay. Because the curse was double-layered," Regina said. "We never went back to the Enchanted Forest because we couldn't. It wasn't real. The curse gave us false memories and when the first layer broke, we thought we remembered. Turns out there's another. Because I am not Regina Mills. I am not the Evil Queen. I'm something more, and you've taken that from me."

"I am real!" Gold shouted. "I will survive!"

"No you won't," the Doctor said firmly. "That stuff you're drinking? Let's just call it White-Out, or, in this case? Gold-Out," he said with a smirk.

"That was a really cheesy line," Donna said, rolling her eyes.

"Whatever," the Doctor said.

"You won't stop me! You can't stop me!" Gold shouted.

"I'm sorry," the Doctor said. "Everyone, get out, now," he said just as the shop shook. "Storybrooke is collapsing, but we can escape in the TARDIS."

The group dashed out of the shop, the Doctor watching as they filed out.

"Emma!" he exclaimed. "Regina, Donna, Henry! Wait, Henry?"

"Sorry," Henry said, stopping at the door. "But I don't think I can come."

"No, no, you're fine!" the Doctor yelled. "You're fine! Really, you are!"

"But I'm his grandson," Henry said. "Look..." he held out a hand and was blown back slightly, stumbling. "I'm connected..."

"No! Henry, you can't do this! Get out!" the Doctor screamed. "Just walk out the door! PLEASE!"

"Tell Mom... tell both of my Moms... tell them I love them," Henry said with a smile.

"Henry, stop it, you come out, you come out now and tell them yourself!" the Doctor screamed. "I WON'T LEAVE YOU!"

"Sorry," Henry mouther, before pushing the Doctor out of the shop, the rushing wind from the storm outside slamming the doors shut.

* * *

The Doctor fought against the endless gusts of wind, struggling against the impact as he forced his way to the TARDIS, eyes brimming with tears. When he finally made it to the blue box and fell inside, the first person who approached him was Donna.

"Henry," the Doctor said.

"I know," Donna said.

"He isn't..." Regina said. "Oh, god, don't let him be..."

"Where is he? What have you done with him?!" Emma shouted.

"He was connected to Gold. he was his grandson... he got stuck," the Doctor said. "He was too much like him..."

"No," Emma said. "I refuse to believe that. It can't end like this. It won't."

* * *

Five hours later

* * *

"The storm's died down," the Doctor said after hours of silence. "Do you want to look outside?" Emma and Regina sat in separate corners of the TARDIS, Donna next to the Doctor.

"No," Emma said. "I want to remember it as it was."

"Right," the Doctor said. "W- where do you want me to drop you off? You've got Maine, you can go back there, or Tennessee... or... I don't know... You could come with us."

"What?" Emma asked, looking up.

"Yeah," the Doctor said. "Regina, you too."

"Well, why not?" Regina finally asked, forcing a smile.

"I suppose so," Emma said. "I mean, what the hell. What else is there? I lost Henry. Again!" she shouted, kicking the TARDIS. "And I still don't remember! I thought I would, I thought maybe..." she sniffed. "But... no."

The group stood in silence for a while more.

"So where are we going next?" Donna finally asked. "What's our next stop?"

The Doctor sighed and tried his best to put on a smile. "Everywhere."

"He means London," the author said duly. "He says next stop everywhere but he really means London. I mean, all of time and space, and... oops, not the author's note yet. Sorry!"

* * *

There was really bright light, first of all. It was incredibly bright, but when he blinked again, it was just day. Day. Where was he? Hang on... hospital. Yeah, hospital.

What happened? Where was he? How did he get here? Think... think...

"Hello? Are you awake?" a nearby nurse asked. "You feeling all right? Tell me, sweetheart, what happened? We found you lying on the side of the road... you're very lucky we found you."

"Yeah," he said groggily. "Fine. Where am I?"

"Hospital," the nurse said. "Maine's best. What would your name be?"

"Henry," he said. "Henry Mills. Where's my mom? Where's the Doctor?"

The nurse blinked. "Doctor who?"

* * *

_**Yeah. I'm pretty evil. By the way, note that this was meant to be completely cheesy. I didn't expect there to be an actual plot... oops.**_

_**Let me know what you think, please! R&R!**_

_**There'll be a sequel up, it's called 'Next Stop Everywhere: An Empty Town In New York'. I've mentioned it before, but I may as well tip you off.**_

_**Cheers!**_


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